Trileptal

Trileptal treats partial seizures. Do not drink alcohol while taking Trileptal as it may make you more sleepy or dizzy.

Trileptal Overview

Updated: July 13, 2015

Trileptal is a prescription medication used to treat partial seizures in adults and children 2 years and older with epilepsy. It may be used alone or with other medications. Trileptal belongs to a group of drugs called anticonvulsants, which work by decreasing abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

This medication comes in a tablet and in an oral suspension form. Trileptal is usually taken twice daily, with or without food.

Common side effects of Trileptal include dizziness, sleepiness, double vision, and nausea. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Trileptal affects you.

Trileptal Interactions

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take:

Trileptal Precautions

Do not stop taking Trileptal without first talking to your healthcare provider.

Stopping Trileptal suddenly can cause serious problems.

Trileptal can cause serious side effects, including:

1. Trileptal may cause the level of sodium in your blood to be low. Symptoms of low blood sodium include:

nausea

tiredness, lack of energy

headache

confusion

more frequent or more severe seizures.

Similar symptoms that are not related to low sodium may occur from taking Trileptal. You should tell your healthcare provider if you have any of these side effects and if they bother you or they do not go away.

Some other medicines can also cause low sodium in your blood. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all the other medicines that you are taking.

2. Trileptal may also cause allergic reactions or serious problems which may affect organs and other parts of your body like the liver or blood cells. You may or may not have a rash with these types of reactions.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following:

swelling of your face, eyes, lips, or tongue

trouble swallowing or breathing

a skin rash

hives

fever, swollen glands, or sore throat that do not go away or come and go

painful sores in the mouth or around your eyes

yellowing of your skin or eyes

unusual bruising or bleeding

severe fatigue or weakness

severe muscle pain

frequent infections or infections that do not go away

Many people who are allergic to Tegretol (carbamazepine) are also allergic to Trileptal. Tell your healthcare provider if you are allergic to Tegretol (carbamazepine).

3. Like other antiepileptic drugs, Trileptal may cause suicidal thoughts or actions in a very small number of people, about 1 in 500.

Call a doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you:

Call your healthcare provider between visits as needed, especially if you are worried about symptoms.

Do not stop taking Trileptal without first talking to a healthcare provider.

Stopping Trileptal suddenly can cause serious problems. Stopping a seizure medicine suddenly in a patient who has epilepsy may cause seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

Suicidal thoughts or actions may be caused by things other than medicines. If you have suicidal thoughts or actions, your healthcare provider may check for other causes.

Do not take Trileptal if you are allergic to Trileptal or any of its ingredients, or allergic to carbamazepine.

Do not drive, operate heavy machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how Trileptal affects you. Trileptal may slow your thinking and motor skills.

Do not drink alcohol or take other drugs that make you sleepy or dizzy while taking Trileptal until you talk to your healthcare provider. Trileptal taken with alcohol or drugs that cause sleepiness or dizziness may make your sleepiness or dizziness worse.

Trileptal Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Trileptal there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Trileptal.

Trileptal and Pregnancy

Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Trileptal may harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant while taking Trileptal. You and your healthcare provider will decide if you should take Trileptal while you are pregnant.

If you become pregnant while taking oxcarbazepine, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug (NAAED) Pregnancy Registry. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the safety of antiepileptic medicine during pregnancy. You can enroll in this registry by calling 1-888-233-2334.

Trileptal and Lactation

Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Trileptal passes into breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should discuss whether you should take Trileptal or breastfeed; you should not do both.

Trileptal Usage

Do not stop taking Trileptal without talking to your healthcare provider. Stopping Trileptal suddenly can cause serious problems, including seizures that will not stop (status epilepticus).

Take Trileptal exactly as prescribed. Your healthcare provider may change your dose and how many times a day you may take Trileptal. Your healthcare provider will tell you how much Trileptal to take.

Take Trileptal with or without food.

Before taking Trileptal oral suspension shake the bottle well and use the oral dosing syringe to measure the amount of medicine needed. Trileptal oral suspension can be mixed in a small glass of water, or swallowed directly from the syringe. Clean the syringe with warm water and let it dry after each use.

Trileptal Dosage

Take Trileptal exactly as prescribed. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. The dosage must be individualized based on your age and weight, other medicines you take, as well as other medical conditions you have.

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